Summary

StrongDM discusses a novel approach to software testing and AI code generation, introducing the concept of "scenarios" as external, behavioral specifications that prevent AI from gaming test suites. Unlike traditional software tests that live inside the code base, these scenarios are stored separately, functioning like a machine learning holdout set to evaluate whether the software actually works. The key innovation is that the AI agent never sees the evaluation criteria, which fundamentally changes how software development can be approached with artificial intelligence. This method addresses a critical challenge in AI-generated code: the tendency to optimize for passing tests rather than creating genuinely correct and effective software.